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The Wilderness Cookbook: woodland

04/10/2018 12:46

Written by Phoebe Smith

For many, the foreboding nature of clusters of trees is scary. Enter a woodland and the temperature drops – causing you to shiver (although, in summer, this may count as welcome shade). Sit still for just a minute and you will, undoubtedly, hear the movement of some invisible creature in the undergrowth (for wildlife lovers this is part of the thrill). Lose your way, and the lack of distinguishable landmarks can cause you to become disorientated very, very quickly (though, for adventurers, this is how you learn to navigate).

As for wild cooking, I find woodland to be one of the most inspiring landscapes in which to prepare a meal. Not only do forests offer handy ‘shelves’ on tree stumps and natural hooks (branches) from which to dangle bags, they also offer a huge array of foraging opportunities, especially when autumn comes and fungi fruit. Woodlands are always giving, never asking.

Here’s the plan …1. If possible, cook over a wood-fuelled Kelly Kettle to enhance the smoky flavour.2. Turn on the camping stove and heat the olive oil in a frying pan until it bubbles then add the shallot, garlic and rosemary and stir continuously until softened.3. Add the mushrooms and stir to coat with the oil.4. Sizzle for a couple of minutes, then add the wine, reduce the heat and cook for a further 3 minutes. Serve.

Where to eat it: Ennerdale Forest

If ever there was a poster child for ‘rewilding’ then the Lake District’s Ennerdale is undoubtedly it. Once uniformly controlled by man, since a joint initiative was started by the landowners ten years ago, the whole woodland has been allowed to break free of its linear shackles, growing higgledy-piggledy, while the River Liza that cuts through Ennerdale has been permitted to change its course. Rangers here encourage exploration, making it the ideal place to pack your hammock, stove and food – and then get creative in both culinary hiking and aspirations.